{"title":"Biko","description":"\u003cp class=\"pd-hook\"\u003eYou'll find a Biko before you read one. Run a thumb along the shoulder and there it is — a small raised crane, folded like origami, set into the clay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHorie Biko (born 1939, Fukushima) trained under Heian Kouzan and took the Award of Excellence at the National Pot Masterpiece Gallery in 1975. He committed to color the way few potters do — orange and yellow laid on solid rather than used as accents, and a deep ruri blue that became a signature of its own. The crane medallion is what collectors look for first, most often in green, and a pot carrying two or three of them sits in a different tier entirely from a single-medallion piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of his pots also carry deep vertical lines cut down the walls — water retention lines, doing their work exactly where a tree dries out first. Most of his catalog is mame and shohin scale, and it has become genuinely hard to source. Also written Bikoh or Bikou.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eRead the full Biko profile →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"small-round-red-glazed-biko-kiln-japanese-bonsai-pot-vintage-medallion-chop-and-nail-signed-bold-form","title":"4.5 Inch Diameter x 2.5 Inch Deep Biko Round Bonsai Pot #480 – Vintage Medallion, Red, Chop \u0026 Nail Signed","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eA small round pot in red glaze from the \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eBiko kiln\u003c\/a\u003e, carrying the hand-applied medallion Horie Biko is known for. Biko worked until his death in 2018, so the supply is finite and vintage pieces in this condition are getting harder to find. The form is bolder than the size suggests, with a full body and a defined foot, and it is marked with both a chop and a nail signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 4.5 inches across and 2.5 inches deep it sits at shohin scale. A red glaze at this size works hardest under a flowering or fruiting tree, where the colour picks up blossom or fruit rather than fighting it, and it is equally at home holding an accent planting on a display stand. The shallow depth points to a tree with a modest, well-worked root mass rather than one still being developed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDiameter\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e4.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRound\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #480\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134114820214,"sku":null,"price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/yRVfW3aVpd2oAOpGKM79Vqt0YTRxJnfciitMsPJYgmo_27817baf-0f78-44d9-970a-01a1ebd575cf.jpg?v=1788826188"},{"product_id":"small-round-white-glazed-japanese-bonsai-pot-biko-kiln-medallion-heavy-drip-chop-1","title":"2.5 Inch Deep Biko Round Bonsai Pot #499 – Medallion, White, Chop Mark","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eA round pot from \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e carrying his medallion, the raised origami crane that collectors look for first. The glaze is the other reason to stop on this one. It is two-tone and exceptional for it, laid on heavily enough to run and pool as it moved down the pot in the firing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eColour is what Biko is best known for. Where most potters use a bold field as an accent, he committed to it, and a pale palette gets the same conviction rather than a timid version of it. The chop is pressed into the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 2.5 inches deep this is a small pot with reasonable root volume for its scale. Biko worked heavily in mame and shohin sizes, and those are the hardest of his pots to source now. A glazed pot at this size conventionally suits a small deciduous or flowering tree, where the colour has foliage to answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRound\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eWhite\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #499\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134117802102,"sku":null,"price":635.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/4D4A0499_1_4f8cf455-8a44-46c5-91d8-a8946c93037e.jpg?v=1788830128"},{"product_id":"small-round-yellow-glazed-biko-kiln-japanese-bonsai-pot-vintage-medallion-chop-1","title":"4.5 Inch Diameter x 2 Inch Deep Biko Round Bonsai Pot #521 – Vintage Medallion, Yellow, Chop Mark","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eSunshine yellow, and that is the point. \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e is best known for bright overglaze enamel work, and few potters commit to colour the way he did. Where most treat a bold orange or yellow as an accent, he painted it on solid and confident, as the whole statement rather than a highlight. This is one of those pots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eIt carries his medallion, the raised origami crane carved and applied to the body of the pot, which is the detail collectors check for first and the fastest way to recognise his work. The chop is pressed into the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 4.5 inches across and 2 inches deep this is shohin and accent scale, where much of his catalogue sits and where his work has become genuinely difficult to source. Two inches is shallow, so it suits a tree with an established root system rather than one still developing. A yellow this bright is conventionally paired with deciduous or flowering material, where it can answer the foliage instead of fighting it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDiameter\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e4.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRound\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eYellow\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #521\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134118850678,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/UL8yKoMmMxPSpHZSalKCZ1psLwkPzuFGnA_22MVdKj8.jpg?v=1788827334"},{"product_id":"small-hexagon-yellow-glazed-biko-kiln-japanese-bonsai-pot-vintage-medallion-chop-and-nail-signed-1","title":"4 Inch Diameter x 2 Inch Deep Biko Hexagon Bonsai Pot #531 – Vintage Medallion, Yellow, Chop \u0026 Nail Signed","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eSix medallions. That is the headline here. A single crane medallion is common on \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e's work, and two or three already puts a pot in a different tier entirely, because the more medallions he worked into a piece the more important he is understood to have considered it. Collector pricing follows that count. Six is well past the point where this reads as a typical Biko.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eThe form is a hexagon, angular and formal rather than one of his rounds, and the glaze is the sunshine yellow he was known for committing to, a solid confident field rather than an accent. Each medallion is a raised origami crane, carved and applied to the body rather than pressed in. It carries both a chop and a nail signature, the signature scratched into the clay by hand while it was still leather-hard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 4 inches across and 2 inches deep this is shohin and accent scale. Shallow, so it wants a tree whose roots are already developed, and a hexagon reads formal, which means it works best with a tree confident enough to hold its own against six cranes and a yellow glaze. This is the pot on the shelf that gets picked up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eAcross\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e4 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eHexagon\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eYellow\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #531\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134120292470,"sku":null,"price":1125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/wk_bMV1Mz4oMy3K82xUB4zuphLScwlX4Lj8SAkyv_Go.jpg?v=1788825529"},{"product_id":"small-mokka-orange-glazed-biko-kiln-japanese-bonsai-pot-hand-carved-medallion-chop-and-nail-signed-1","title":"5.5x4.5x2 Inch Biko Mokka Bonsai Pot #544 – Hand Carved Medallion, Mokka Orange, Chop \u0026 Nail Signed","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eTurn a \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e pot over and the first thing collectors look for is the crane: a small raised medallion, folded like an origami crane, carved and applied directly to the clay. This one carries six. A single medallion is common on his work, and two or three already puts a pot in a different tier, because the more medallions Biko worked into a piece the more important he is understood to have considered it. Six sits well beyond that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eThe mokka form suits the decision. Mokka takes its outline from the quince fruit, a soft multi-lobed silhouette rather than a straight-sided one, so the medallions sit on a wall that is already curving. The colour is Biko doing exactly what he was known for. Where most potters treat a bold orange as an accent, he laid it on solid and confident. Underneath there is a chop and a nail signature: the chop a pressed seal repeated across the kiln's output, the nail signature scratched into the clay by hand while it was still leather-hard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 5.5 by 4.5 inches and 2 inches deep this is shohin scale, which is where most of Biko's work lives. The shallow depth suits a tree whose roots are already developed rather than one still building mass, and a colour this saturated answers foliage instead of receding behind it, the conventional pairing for deciduous and flowering species. With six medallions to find, the pot rewards being turned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eLength\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e5.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eWidth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e4.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eMokka\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eMokka orange\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #544\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134121111670,"sku":null,"price":1895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/yMmVO78kfQwlYMA6W--lg-KS7fblPgt_nlNEMAae450.jpg?v=1788825435"},{"product_id":"small-round-ruri-blue-glazed-japanese-bonsai-pot-biko-kiln-medallion-chop-competition-quality-square-cut-feet-1","title":"Biko Round Bonsai Pot #489 – Medallion, Ruri Blue, Chop Mark","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eA round pot from \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e in ruri, the deep blue that became a signature glaze of his: glossy and saturated in a way few other potters attempted. It carries his medallion, the raised origami crane motif that is the fastest way to identify his work, and it stands on square cut feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eThe construction is why this one is marked competition quality. Biko trained under Heian Kouzan, and the clean lines and precise finishing around the rim and foot are what that apprenticeship demanded. The chop is pressed into the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 2 inches deep this is a small pot for shohin or accent work, and shallow, so it suits a tree whose roots are already established rather than one still building mass. A glaze this saturated wants foliage to answer rather than bark to compete with, which points toward deciduous or flowering material. Biko's small-format work is the hardest of his output to find now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRound\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRuri blue\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #489\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134121963638,"sku":null,"price":625.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/GZkWIjeLDcMOWhHiNZJZa-zTwrm8naf5I1E7pRfGnpE.jpg?v=1788825571"},{"product_id":"small-round-biko-kiln-japanese-bonsai-pot-two-tone-white-glaze-with-crane-medallion-chop-and-nail-signed","title":"4 Inch Diameter x 2.5 Inch Deep Biko Round Bonsai Pot #510 – Medallion, Two-Tone White, Chop \u0026 Nail Signed","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"max-width:60ch;margin:0 0 32px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eTurn a \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\"\u003eHorie Biko\u003c\/a\u003e pot over and the crane is what collectors look for first: a small raised medallion folded like an origami crane, carved and applied directly to the body. This one has it, and it carries fan stamps alongside, so there is more worked into the surface than his usual single mark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 1.1em;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eColour is the other half of his reputation. Where most potters treat a bold field as an accent, Biko laid his on solid and confident, and even in a pale two-tone white that intent shows in how cleanly the two tones are held apart. It carries a chop and a nail signature: the chop a pressed seal repeated across the kiln's output, the nail signature scratched into the clay by hand while it was still leather-hard, so that one belongs to this pot alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;line-height:1.7;\"\u003eAt 4 inches across and 2.5 inches deep this is mame to shohin scale, where a significant part of Biko's catalogue lives and where his pots have become hardest to source. That depth still gives a small tree usable root volume. A glazed pot this size conventionally suits a small deciduous or flowering specimen, or an accent planting set beside a larger display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;flex:1 1 100%;align-self:stretch;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:2px solid #BA7918;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDiameter\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e4 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eDepth\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003e2.5 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eShape\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eRound\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eKiln\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;text-align:right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/horie-biko-the-potter-behind-the-crane-medallion\" style=\"color:#BA7918;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:6px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;\"\u003eBiko\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(60,87,69,.42);\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eGlazed\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;gap:48px;padding:17px 0;border-bottom:2px solid #3C5745;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3C5745;white-space:nowrap;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family:'Newsreader',serif;font-size:24px;line-height:1.4;color:rgba(0,0,0,.82);text-align:right;\"\u003eTwo-tone white\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-top:18px;font-family:'Montserrat',sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#A8A5A0;\"\u003ePot #510\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bonsai Den","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44146997395574,"sku":null,"price":575.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/files\/4D4A0510.jpg?v=1788871351"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/6491\/1222\/collections\/4D4A0556-Edit.jpg?v=1789839017","url":"https:\/\/bonsaiden.com\/collections\/biko.oembed","provider":"Bonsai Den","version":"1.0","type":"link"}